The story of PHIL MORRIS' career in Speedway should serve as an inspiration to any rider starting out in the sport. His record is a testament to the power of determination and commitment. His career has been plagued by misfortune, bad luck, poor press, injury and struggle, but the rider has overcome it all to eventually attain heat-leader and legendary status at Smallmead.
The Welshman first sat on a bike when he was four-years-old, but only started to race competitively when he joined a grasstrack club at the age of nine. He struggled at first, but as time progressed he improved before becoming British Champion several times in different age groups.
Morris was a natural sportsman and was actually offered trials for the Welsh rugby Under-16s, but speedway was always his preferred profession - and the Reading Racers were his first choice of club to ride for.
He'd had a few second-half outings at Smallmead, but officially signed up for the Racers on his 16th birthday on 10th September 1991. Just three days later he scored 9 points for the Reading Rivets at Eastbourne, and then another three days after that scored a 9 point maximum in Rivets win over Belle Vue Colts at Smallmead. He also scored a 1.45 average from six meetings for the Racers during his debut season.
Morris won a British League Championship medal in his first full season as a Racer in 1992. The Welshman played his part finishing with a 2.83 average from 28 meetings.
He started 1993 by scoring a 15-point maximum for the England Select team in the February ice meeting at Telford, but when the conventional speedway season started, only made a slight improvement with a 3.13 average from 41 meetings for Reading. A broken leg from a mid-season grasstrack accident cut short his 1994 season. He scored 5.08 from 25 meetings in that injury hit season, but returned fully fit the following year where he attained a 5.02 figure from 42 matches.
Morris started 1996 nursing a shoulder injury after a freak pre-season go-karting accident in New Zealand. The highpoint of his season was 11 (paid 13) away at Stoke, but some low scores saw him end the season in the reserve berth, with his average dipping to 4.76 from 35 meetings.
Reading dropped down a division in 1997, but Morris moved on loan to fellow Premier Leaguers Stoke after being left out of Racers plans. He scored over six points a match with the Midland club, and ended the season as a heat-leader with the Potters.He returned to Reading in 1998 in a year that the Racers won the Premier League KO Cup, but he didn't play a full part as an elbow injury during a grasstrack meeting during June cut short his season once again.
1999 was seen as the year that Phil Morris had to finally make his mark on the sport, which thankfully did turn out to be the turning point of the Welshman's career. Reading finished bottom of the pile in the Premier League, but Morris had his best season yet, including his first ever maximum when he scored 14 (paid 15) in a home win over Berwick. He finished the campaign with a creditable 7.49 average from 36 meetings, where he was an ever-present that season for the Racers.
Morris was named skipper of the Racers in his testimonial year in 2000, and the plucky Welshman rose to the occasion to finish the season as a fully-fledged heat-leader with an 8.50 average.Over the next two years Morris enjoyed some of the best speedway in his career. He raced to an 8.42 average from 39 meetings in 2001, and then a best ever 8.68 from 38 matches the following season. 2002 was also a good one for Morris in the Premier League Riders Championship at Belle Vue, when he shocked a few on the day with an impressive display which saw him finish on the rostrum in third place.
Morris was hoping for even better things in 2003. Unfortunately, his season was blighted by one injury after another, and although he did return from an opening day crash at Newport, further crashes eventually took their toll. He only completed 7 official meetings for the Racers that season, which returned a 7.09 average.
Thankfully he had fully recovered the following March, where he finished the season with a respectable 8.26 average from 52 meetings. The highlight of his season, and even possibly his career, came at Smallmead in June, when he partnered team-mate Danny Bird to the 2004 Premier League Pairs Championship.Sadly all good things must come to an end and with Reading well over the 45-point limit, and with four into three not going, Morris became the odd man out and was left out of Reading's plans for the 2005 season. He made the long trip north to join Newcastle Diamonds on loan for 2005, but sadly his year was blighted with numerous crashes and injuries, which resulted in his average dropping to just 6.85 from 30 matches.
This season sees him link up with Belle Vue in the Sky Sports Elite League, and his presence in the Aces team will certainly add a bit of spice to the fixture when they come to Smallmead to take on the Bulldogs later this month.
Phillip William Morris will always be a Reading man wherever he rides in the future, but hopefully we haven't seen the last of the courageous all-action Welshman in the blue and white of Reading.
The story of PHIL MORRIS' career in Speedway should serve as an inspiration to any rider starting out in the sport. His record is a testament to the power of determination and commitment. His career has been plagued by misfortune, bad luck, poor press, injury and struggle, but the rider has overcome it all to eventually attain heat-leader and legendary status at Smallmead.
